Proud Papa

[MIKEY.GARTER]

I didn't get an accurate count yet but it looks like my son's snake Tommy is actually a " Tina ". Around 20 little ones, just regular old Massachusetts garter snakes but man are they cute. Is separating them from Mom OK ? Should I make food available right away or wait for a few days?

[Stefan-A]

It's safe to separate them, but they may not eat for a few days.

[Snake lover 3-25]

congrats!!!! good luck!!!!!!

[infernalis]

Honestly, separating the babies from mom would be prudent, especially while feeding.

Garter snakes are not cannibals, but if mom were to attempt to take food from a baby, she would ingest the whole thing, baby and all.

Feeding snakes in groups invites disaster.

Was this snake caught in the wild? was she pregnant when you got her?

If so, the BEST thing you could do for those snakes would be to select one baby that strikes you as the most interesting, and release the rest of the babies as close to where you found mom as possible.

[MIKEY.GARTER]

She must have been pregnant when we found her, she's a small female maybe 18 inches. She's very hungry after having the little ones and her scales have almost a
wet mirror like look to them now that she's been resting up the last few days. Tinas
going back into the wild in a couple of days as will her babies, there are two babies
that I might keep for pets, they already take pinky pieces and have nice size and markings.
I do have a question if anyone can answer it. We found her almost three
months ago, how long does it take for a garter snake from insemination to birth ?

[jitami]

I believe it's 90-120 days and they can retain sperm from the previous summer/fall, so could be even longer Glad to hear you're releasing Tina and most of the babies. I think you've made a good choice in the two "easy feeders." Hopefully your son will understand. Maybe talk to him about how Tina is used to being free. Make some comparison to something important to him, like what if some stranger picked you up and you never got to come home... although that one might be a bit too scary for him, just come up with something important to him that he would miss if he couldn't do it anymore. Then compare the babies to human babies being adopted. You guys will be their new mom and dad. Seems kind of corny, but if you can find a way to make the connections in his head to things he's already familiar with so that he can understand why you're releasing Tina he'll feel like he's doing a wonderful, unselfish thing, instead of just something mom and dad made him do.

[Stefan-A]

I believe it's 90-120 days and they can retain sperm from the previous summer/fall,

If I remember correctly, the record is 4 or 5 years.

[jitami]

Wow... really... Suprise!

[Stefan-A]

And parthenogenesis has apparently been documented in T. elegans vagrans.

[jitami]

Really? How would they know if it wasn't retained sperm... especially if they can retain sperm for years? Has this truly been proven? Tested, trialled in a secure environment? Hmmmm... interesting!

btw, still have thechurchofdave's you tube page open. I know a few people I'm saving that birthday song for